Category Archives: Stories

SALON SUCCESS
How do you get started in the Color Takeover revolution? Stylists who have grown their business with extensions and hair color share their journeys, tips and advice.

RUBEN MARTINEZSolo Artist and Traveling Educator/Extensions ExpertYost SalonLas Vegas, NV
My hair extension journey began back in 2005, when I was introduced to Donna Bella Hair extensions at a show in Los Angeles. I wanted to learn all I could about the craft, and how to get started. I fell in love with the methods immediately, along with the company’s accessibility and customer service!

Today, my work with hair extensions has taken me literally all over the country and world. I specialize in extensions with a passion for education. I currently rent a station at Yost Salon in Las Vegas, travel once per month to California for standing appointments, and see five extensions clients per week on average, along with teaching. With professional hair extensions—and hair color—there’s so much versatility with what you can create, where you can go. It’s awesome.

The Art of Extensions
If you learn about and do extensions for the craft and the craft alone you’ll have success. It’s not just “attaching” hair. Mastering the craft means learning the methods inside and out. Placement and position with an integrity-focused approach is just the beginning. Proper blending, dimensional flow are part of it. Then there’s making sure clients are aware of aftercare do’s and don’ts. (Doesn’t that all sound familiar, hair colorists?) When artists give the craft their all, success in the category is inevitable.

About Color Takeover
Hair color and extensions seriously go hand in hand. Color matching plays a key role in achieving a “most natural, least obvious” end result. For salons and artists, I feel business can only grow from being recognized as having the ability to create masterpieces that aren’t obviously extensions or extensions alone.

Pricing Pointers
My basic hair cut and style services start at $60, and my average extensions ticket is $700, with services ranging from $200 to $1,800. It all depends on which method of attachment is being used, how much hair is needed, and basically what end result the client is aiming to achieve.

Making a Difference
With Color Takeover from Donna Bella as a resource, stylists and colorists have more options than ever. Whether you help meet your clients’ needs for length, fullness, or fashion color, you seriously have a broad range of variety to create the day away. Be prepared as it hits you right in the feels when you give your clients the hair they’ve always wanted. It’s so rewarding giving them that WOW factor as they strut their stuff on that catwalk of life.

Donna Bella has made the difference for me. They’ve supported my hair extension journey with such a great product, life changing opportunities, and reliable customer service. For that, I’m forever grateful!

Visit the Color Takeover Portal today to learn more about combining the art of hair extensions with the science of color in your salon!

SALON SUCCESS
How do you get started in the Color Takeover revolution? Stylists who have grown their business with extensions and hair color share their journeys, tips and advice.

BOBBY SUE YORKSalon Owner and Extensions Specialist Salon Diva K Kansas City, MO @salondivakc
I went to cosmetology school just to learn extensions. I had already been wearing extensions myself for five years. After graduating, I worked one year for a large, upscale salon and spa, then went straight to a hair-extensions-only salon. We were hidden away in a nondescript office, at a time when no one wanted it known that they were wearing extensions. Our clientele was hush-hush.

Client Profile
Now everyone is wearing extensions, age 20-80, for so many different reasons and all very openly. Someone compliments your hair, you say, “Thanks, I’m wearing extensions.”

Our business serves a wealthy area—Overland Park County—and the extensions business is strong. But more women from diverse backgrounds are wearing extensions, often just one package for volume. Extensions are affordable, attainable. My clientele is predominantly house moms who just want to look and feel great. I also happen to see a lot of nurses. Extensions are something they do to nurture themselves.

I use all four types of Donna Bella Hair extensions but the Kera-Link fusion style is my go-to. To me, it looks the most real and is the most luxurious.

Marketing Musts
When I first started with extensions, social media didn’t exist. It was all about traditional word-of-mouth. I would do contests and events, and those are still effective. When the Royals were in the World Series in 2015, we did a lot of $5 pops of blue hair. Good trial, good exposure, clients would come back for more.

Today, social media is so important, especially before-and-after photos. I have professional (versus personal) Instagram, Facebook, and SnapChat accounts. Live video is blowing up, too, and can be really powerful. Make sure that everything you do is informative but also fun. Don’t make it too complicated. A great Facebook Live post can be someone just standing behind me and recording part of a technique.

Stylist to Stylist
My most important advice to stylists who want to build an extensions business is to be educated. I personally have invested $15,000 in hair extensions education beyond cosmetology school, and it has been worth every penny. But there are plenty of options. Donna Bella’s online course is a great way to get exposed and connect, as are all the shows they participate in.

Making a Difference
Be mindful that a lot of people who come in for extensions are dealing with damage that you can’t always see. They may be experiencing hair loss, some because of thyroid, cancer, or other health issues. Others have had a bad experience at another salon and had to do a drastic cut to overcome it, or are hitting a number in their life where maybe they don’t feel sexy anymore. They might be going through some other type of loss. These are the clients I love the most. It’s one thing when you wear extensions because you want long hair, and quite another when you’ve lost a piece of yourself and you are trying to find it.

Visit the Color Takeover Portal today to learn more about combining the art of hair extensions with the science of color in your salon!

My Method, My Specialty
One of the many things I love about Donna Bella is the versatility and range of what they offer: more than 50 shades, five lengths and four professional methods: Tape-In, I-Link, Flat-Tip, and Kera-Link, all in professional, easy-to-use Remy hair that can be professionally colored.

Most of my clients wear I-Link extensions, the beaded method. I do other types, too, but I-Link works well for me and my clients’ needs. Most of my clients are seeking length, and fullness is a side benefit. Some have vibrant extensions, like bright blue or multi-colored, custom applications.

I-Link is really good for stylists who are beginners with extensions and for clients who prefer low-commitment services. You place the hair and if you don’t like it, you can take it right out.

Pricing Pointers
I charge $45 for a regular cut and style, and I’ll charge about $150 to put one pack (20 strands) of I-Link extensions in. Many clients require or prefer multiple packs of hair, so an average service comes closer to $500 for an initial install service fee, with clients coming back every 4-6 weeks to touch up—and push up—the I-Link extensions.

Social Status
I’ve recently had really good luck attracting new extension clients by getting active with local Facebook groups as well as posting my work on professional Instagram and Facebook pages. I ask clients for permission to tag them and ask them to tag me and the salon.

My Tips
One secret to my success came from going to trade shows early in my career, soaking up all the knowledge I could and watching other stylists and asking questions. I still want to see how other stylists do I-Links. I’m always learning.

I also use the tools Donna Bella makes available on the Donna Bella Hair website to improve and speed up my application process. For my I-Link system, I grab each strand of hair with the pliers tool, for instance, saving steps. It’s a huge time-saver, not having to set a tool down 100 times when installing 100 strands of hair. I also love the specific Flare Hair tool I use to lock and remove the I-Link beaded extensions. It is very ergonomic and comfortable in a woman’s hand.

I still love going to shows, and I’ll be at Premiere Orlando and the Premiere Beauty Classic in Columbus, Ohio, this year, helping out. I won’t be on the main stage, but at the stations on the floor. When people buy hair, we will install it for free. It’s a great way to experience the extensions yourself and talk and learn directly from real stylists who do extensions for clients in regular salons every day.

Pursuing my passion for extensions is the best thing that I’ve done for my business. In just the couple years that I have been doing hair, it has been what’s kept me busy and set me apart from other stylists.

Visit the Color Takeover Portal today to learn more about combining the art of hair extensions with the science of color in your salon!

Reality Check
I see clients full-time in the five-station rental salon I own, and about one-third are extension clients. Most of those (80 percent) are 40 years or older and need fullness; they just want their hair to not be “paper thin.”

Overcoming Fear
Some stylists and colorists are scared to get involved with extensions because they think the investment they would be asking clients to make is too high. But you don’t have to be rich to want—and get—hair extensions today. Things have changed so much. Still, it’s important for professionals to charge what we’re worth. If you are confident in your consultation and pricing, if you let clients know you are certified and they are in good hands, if you communicate that “this is the price for the hair extensions themselves, this is the price for the install, here’s what a custom coloring service costs, here’s what it takes and will cost to maintain it,” then you can stand behind your number. It’s not different from charging what you, your time, and expertise are worth for hair color or any other services.

Hair Color is Big
Donna Bella has so many pre-colored ranges to make it easy to find extensions to match the hair on the head. However, with more clients wanting to change hair color more often, more dramatically, salon pros have to be able to adapt on demand—to take clients from where they are now to where they want to go with a new hair phase. That’s why Color Takeover and custom coloring is so brilliant.

Clients want to try new shades and looks—from funky colors to natural shades and back again. Extensions make it easier to navigate and succeed with those constant transformations.

Full Effect
Clients who start with a few extensions for fullness get a taste and want more. With their first extensions in, some actually cry into the mirror, saying, “I didn’t know I could feel this pretty.” Then, I’ll get a text message a week later that reads, “Let’s start thinking about what we can do next time.” Their confidence grows, business grows. Custom color is a natural next step.

Pricing Pointers
I charge $28 for a regular cut and style. For an original installation of a full head of extensions, I’ll charge $450-$650, then about half that for maintenance appointments.

Starting the Conversation
I always have an extensions-related visual on my station, like the Donna Bella Hair Color Ring. I’ll say, “These are my extension swatches. Have you ever thought about what extensions can do for you?” I’ll also keep a mannequin head with a few bright extensions in the retail area, just to prompt conversation.

During the consultation, I ask the client if she is having any trouble with her hair. Almost always there is an extensions and hair color solution.

Visit the Color Takeover Portal today to learn more about combining the art of hair extensions with the science of color in your salon!

SALON SUCCESS
How do you get started in the Color Takeover revolution? Stylists who have grown their business with extensions and hair color share their journeys, tips, and advice.

BAELEE REITER Manager and Stylist Evolution Salon, Minot, ND @inbaeleeschair
My love of extensions took root in cosmetology school, and it was one of the best things I could have done for my career. After graduating, I tried different brands until introduced to Donna Bella. I love the quality of the hair—and the support.

What Has Changed?
Extensions are no longer just about super-long hair and four-plus hours in the chair. Now I am adding extensions just for pops of color, for highlights, to add volume, to extend or brighten an ombre or balayage service.

For thinning clients, we use extensions to add thickness. For finer-haired clients, we add darker pieces to create lowlights and added dimension with minimal fading.

To colorists who are skeptical or to any stylists who are a bit intimidated by the idea of bringing hair color and extension services together, I always say “think back to your first time doing a full head of highlights.” It takes practice—and time—but once you learn and go through the process a few times, your speed and confidence improve rapidly.

Why Specialize?
It’s worth it. You can boost profits so quickly by adding color and extensions. As with anything new in our craft, success takes an open mind and practice.

When I first started at the salon seven years ago, I was the only one who did extensions. Within two years, I was so busy with extensions and consultations, I couldn’t keep up. I had no choice but to train a few other stylists in the salon. When another salon stylist sees the money you can make by being an extensions specialist, they are intrigued and want to learn, too. Who doesn’t want to make more money?

We have grown so much with extensions in our salon and town. When I talk to stylists at Donna Bella classes or shows, I often hear, “I’m from a small town, no one would want extensions.” Then I tell them about how much business I do at my North Dakota salon, and that I believe almost every client is an extensions candidate.

Something for Everyone
Not everyone has to have a full head application, in fact most of my clients don’t. Some just want to fill in around the front, ears forward. Maybe they’ve had breakage or find the hair doesn’t grow as fast. Others don’t want to over-compromise their hair, especially now that balayage is so popular. I can add one package of platinum blonde or silver extensions to add brightness and make them feel a lot lighter.

Sampling Works
One of my best tips is to always keep product at your station. Show the client what adding just a few pieces might do for her. Start out with a type of extension that doesn’t have a commitment—Donna Bella offers four types—Tape-In, I-Link, Flat-Tip, and Kera-Link. Place a few and tell her, “If you decide within a week that you don’t like it, come back and I’ll take it out for free.” Nine times out of 10, she comes back—but because she wants more. For many, the extra thickness and volume are addictive.

Pricing Pointers
As far as pricing extensions, the nationwide average for Donna Bella Hair ranges from $5-10 per strand for the application process, plus what you charge for the hair itself. So if you install 20 to 40 strands, you would charge from $140 to $280. With practice, installing 20-40 strands should take about a half-hour. Then, depending on the method and the service, the client comes back in 6 to 12 weeks to remove the extensions and move them back up to the root area. You charge for the total time the service requires, which varies depending on the method. Even a few fashion color strands can generate $20-30 for a quick 5-minute add-on service.

Making a Difference
It all comes back to a conversation with your client and building trust. Extensions are a huge money-maker for our salon, but extensions also change people’s lives, and that’s very gratifying.

I had a client who was struggling with the fact that her hair did not grow back with the same texture after successful treatment for cancer. We found a solution with extensions. She was in my chair, in tears, so happy. Hair is one of the most important accessories we have, and extensions—along with hair color and a great style—allow us to give clients the accessory they want.

Another fine-haired client just wants to be as platinum on her ends as can be. So I said, let’s add some Color #60 (Donna Bella’s lightest, most neutral shade) to your hair. I’ve had her rebooking for a solid year now because I can give her the look that no other stylist can with hair color alone. I simply retouch her regrowth and just push up her extensions.

And then there are clients who crave those really fun fashion colors that are so huge right now. I can create a custom color with extensions or place a few bright pops, no pre-lightening necessary.

Sky’s the Limit
My main message to share with fellow salon professionals is simple: if you can specialize in extensions and the custom coloring of extensions, you will set yourself apart from other stylists and salons. The sky really is the limit. From mermaid hair to subtle lowlights, the opportunities are there, in your chair.

Don’t let hesitation hold you back. Try new things on fellow stylists and family. Take pics and post your transformations. One really good before-and-after on a professional Instagram page can get you 10 new clients, easily.

Visit the Color Takeover Portal today to learn more about combining the art of hair extensions with the science of color in your salon!

SALON SUCCESS
How do you get started in the Color Takeover revolution? Stylists who have grown their business with extensions and hair color share their journeys, tips, and advice.

LINDSEY GRAHAM Couture Beauty by Lindsey Graham Salem, Oregon @couturebeautysalem
I have been doing extensions since 2007. Now I specialize in Donna Bella Tape-In extensions and see about 10 extensions clients per week. It’s amazing how far extensions have come. Once you’ve got a client in your chair and can talk to them about the service and their own hair challenges or wishes, extensions practically sell themselves.

Pricing Pointers
I have raised my prices as I’ve gotten faster and learned what extensions are worth. If you specialize in hair color and start doing extensions, you should pay yourself based on your time, your expertise. If you charge $150 for a hair color service that takes you two hours, charge the same for an extensions application that takes two hours (knowing that you’ll charge separately for the hair packs and custom coloring services). If you become the best in your town, charge competitively!

Practice, Practice, Practice
As you get started, offer extensions as a complimentary service to family and friends to master the technique, and to be sure you know your timing. Really practice before you start booking clients. You’ll want to be sure you know how to order the right amount of hair, and how to match and color it correctly. There are lots of resources online and helpful classes and educators to talk to at shows to help you figure this out.

Expand Your Options
The Color Takeover program is the first I’ve heard of any extensions company encouraging the coloring of extensions. I’m impressed Donna Bella partnered with a professional color company and tool company to give stylists the education they need. It opens up a whole new world. Anyone with a vibrant or custom color can now get extensions. I can convert a blonde client to silver gray. I can accommodate clients I’ve had to turn down in the past. With these types of options, who wouldn’t want extensions?

Visit the Color Takeover Portal today to learn more about combining the art of hair extensions with the science of color in your salon!

Have you read our Stylist Spotlights? If you haven’t checked it out yet, you have to! We’ve chosen to feature only the best of the best, gracing us by using Donna Bella Hair on their clients. Each month, we choose a different stylist to feature. Not only will their creativity make your jaw drop on social media, they have been extremely kind by sharing a few pointers, ideas, and tricks of working with Donna Bella Hair. Each stylist has a special code you can use to purchase their favorite Donna Bella hair product at a discounted price.

Need to know which color products work well with Donna Bella Hair? Want to know how other stylists are placing and blending hair extensions to perfection? Take advantage of the monthly stylist tip. We guarantee you’ll learn something new. Also covered in their interviews— how to keep up with the latest hair trends, how to boost your clientele, and how to introduce the world of hair extensions to a client who has never thought about them before.

You know those waiting times between clients? Why not keep up with Ricardo’s washing secret, or find out what Robbie’s favorite products are.

If you’re interested in becoming one of our featured stylists, show us your work using #donnabellahair on Instagram and we’ll find you. You can also send in your work to us through Facebook messenger or through email info@donnabellahair.com. We scan through tons of before and afters keeping an eye on perfect placement and flawless blending. Custom color always blows us away because it takes precision to color Donna Bella Hair. So if it sounds like you got what it takes and are willing to share your technique, keep posting! The more posts you have, the more curious we are to get to know who is behind all of these masterpieces.

With proper maintenance, hair extensions can actually help your hair grow better. Because hair extensions compel clients to take good care of their hair, it is allowed to grow and flourish. Singer and songwriter Lauren Winans is just one example of someone whose natural hair benefited by having extensions.

Lauren and her stylists knew what to do to keep her hair growing while her hair extensions were in. They also knew how to care for her hair once her extensions were removed so she could get them installed again.

We’re so happy to have Lauren sharing her experience on our blog today!

On a Wednesday morning, I went in to Aura Salon in Nashville to have my extensions removed. Why was I getting them removed you may ask? Well, in order to keep your natural hair as healthy as possible, you must remove the extensions periodically! I got the extensions in December and had been too busy to have them take them out… so Wednesday was the day.

I have had a lot of growth in the five months I had the extensions. This is common with hair extensions. Your natural hair starts growing and has nowhere to go so that is why your extensionist suggests brushing your hair at least 3 times a day to prevent matting. I was brushing three times a day or more, and my hair had been rapidly growing. When Glynnis, my hair extensionist, put her hands up in my hair, she could feel some tangles, but she said none that were dreadlock tangles, just tangles. This happens and this is why it is very important that you keep up with your maintenance when wearing hair extensions, especially when you have very fine hair, like me.

We started by using the Keratin Bond Remover. This process seemed to take forever, but Glynnis was being exceptionally careful to not pull out any of my natural hair with the extension bond. We spent many hours removing the hair carefully with the help of the whole salon! The salon jumped in and helped in the removal of the hair. There were four hairstylists removing and combing my hair. After each piece of hair was removed, we sprayed IT’S a 10 MIRACLE SPRAY on each strand.

It is very important to keep your hair as moisturized as possible after removing extensions! Glynnis washed and gave me a blow dry when we were all finished. My natural hair looks beautiful! There are a lot of steps to keeping your hair looking its best with extensions. You always hear the horror stories about losing hair, but that is because they aren’t doing the proper maintenance!

We put my hair extensions back in one week later. It only took two hours to put the hair in and cut my extensions! When I say cut, I mean we took a teeny tiny bit of length off for layering and blending them into my natural hair. We put in the light golden blonde (#24) and Strawberry Blond (#27) Kera-Link strands. My hair is so pretty and so shiny right now.

We had a very sweet photographer come in and she took photos of the process. (See below!) My hair is looking great and my natural hair is still very healthy!

One of the many reasons you should choose Donna Bella as your go-to hair extension company is the training methods! They train their extensionists about the importance of your natural hair, not just how to put the extensions in! I would never want to use anyone else.

Our guest blogger is back this week! Lauren Winans is a singer and songwriter from Nashville who loves wearing Donna Bella hair extensions. This weeks, Lauren gives us some tips from her very own glam squad that helps her hair look amazing.

Meet Glynnis Garcia and Jeanna Jones, both from Aura Salon in Nashville. Jeanna is the owner of Aura Salon. Aura is my official salon for all things dealing with my extensions! Glynnis is a certified Donna Bella Hair Extensionist.

When I first met Glynnis, she had a little table set out with the hair perfectly placed and ready to be fused in. She even had a cute little leopard cape for me to wear while I was getting my extensions done!

I recently talked with Glynnis and Jeanna about how much they love Donna Bella Hair themselves.

Lauren: Why did you choose to be certified in Donna Bella over all the other extension brands out there?

Glynnis: I have found that the methods that Donna Bella offers are amazing. A lot of companies only offer one or two methods. I love to learn, and if I’m going to be learning something, I want to know every which way possible. Every client has different needs, and no one’s hair is the same either. I needed a company who will ensure I can provide the service to my clients needs. Also, unnatural colors is a huge trend right now. Not everyone wants the damage from coloring their hair to get that. Donna Bella’s color selection is wide and vibrant! Perfect for clients who want that edge!

L: What is the best part of owning a salon that does extensions? And why did you choose to be a Donna Bella salon?

Jeanna: As a salon owner, I always want to bring to my clients and my team of stylists the best possible products and tools available! I love being able to offer hair extensions for volume, length, a color change, or the clip-in for a night on the town, a photo-shoot, or anytime! It’s all about options. Donnabella has the most superior hair in the world.

Donna Bella offers the latest technology and choices in the hair extension industry, to best suit any client’s needs and lifestyle. Kera-Link, I-Link, Tape-In or Clip-In. Plus, the hair is so gorgeous, and the colors are so beautiful and blend-able to anyone’s hair whether going for a natural look or a dramatic change!

We love working with Donna Bella’s customer service department as well, the are so friendly, knowledgeable, and super efficient. Donna Bella is a pleasure to work with and offer the best products on the market. We know our clients are getting the best hair extensions and latest technology in the industry and that is what it’s all about at Aura Salon!

L: When you did my extensions, how could you tell that my hair would be able to hold these extensions, even though my hair is so thin?

G: Donna Bella’s Kera-links are light-weight keratin bonds. A lot of people think just because their hair is fine, it won’t hold. Definitely not the case…especially with proper training, education, and technique the stylist gets when certified. They teach you how to work with people with all kinds of density. With you, I was watching my sectioning, making sure they were consistent with each other. Not too big but not too small. Also, I was mapping out where I was going to place them.

I absolutely adore Jeanna and Glynnis for their amazing job with extensions. It is very important that you find a certified stylist so that you get the best experience possible and the best maintenance tips. Donna Bella is all about the best! I am so excited to be partnered up with such a wonderful company.

You can now access a free download of my song “You’re Gonna Luv It” through Donna Bella! Click on this link http://www.laurenwinans.com/donnabellahairpromo and just fill out the short form below. Hurry, offer is only for the first 50 people. I know “you’re gonna luv it!”

Hi everyone! I am Lauren Winans. I am a singer/songstress and total girly girl who is in love with Donna Bella Hair Extensions! I am going to be blogging on how to extension style, maintenance, and much more. I personally have been wearing Donna Bella hair for a several months. I have the 18 inch Kera-Links. This hair is bonded in so well that I have had no slipping. Every single piece of hair is still in place, just like the first day I had them inserted. Keep in mind, I had to find a stylist who was certified in Donna Bella Extensions. I wouldn’t just want anyone gluing hair to my head! Donna Bella not only offers fusion extensions; they also offer Beaded, Tape-In, and Clip-Ins. There is something for everyone.

I chose the Kera-Links because I had already had the beaded and the clip in extensions. I had a different brand, but I still knew I was ready for the fused-in hair. It is super easy for me to fix my own hair this way. I have baby fine hair, so Clip-In extensions tend to show if i move my head too much on stage or in a photo shoot. That is why I like the Kera-Links. They come in packs of 20 strands of hair and your extensionist uses her bonding tool to glue them in. (Don’t be scared! They have remover.) The extensions come out and does not damage your real hair as long as you keep up with your maintenance. I was always told to braid my hair so that it isn’t flying all over the place on my pillow creating a rat’s nest! You can braid into pig tails or one single braid down your back and your hair should be secure.

I quickly learned that maintenance is very important when you have hair extensions. If you do not properly take care of the extensions, you will lose them sooner or have breakage of your own hair. I keep multiple natural bristle brushes on hand because the bristles can go through your spaces where the hair was placed. Donna Bella actually has their own hair extension brush, which I recommend buying!

I will be talking with my own glam squad about all the ways to keep your hair looking great and updating you with what I keep learning about it myself. Keep up with me on www.laurenwinans.com and right here on donnabellahair.com.

ABOUT HAIRLINE

At Hairline, we aspire to be the go-to source for everything hair extensions. From hairstyles to extension hair care, it is our goal to cover every strand of our bonus hair—be they long-term or clip-in. Join us as we explore the good, the bad, and the “why didn’t I think of that” and feel free to experiment right along with us.